Thursday, June 25, 2015

Supreme Court Upholds Obamacare (Again)

Posted By on Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 8:24 AM


In what is no doubt a great disappointment to those who want to expand the number of uninsured Americans, the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected arguments that a minor drafting error should result in the Affordable Care Act's subsidies for middle-class Americans being eliminated (and, by extension, a collapse of the law itself).

Arizona Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-CD1) reacts:

I’m pleased that the Supreme Court ruled to protect affordable health coverage for thousands of Arizona families and millions of Americans. In the words of Chief Justice John Roberts, ‘Congress passed the Affordable Care Act to improve health insurance markets, not to destroy them.’ I’ve always said we should work together to fix and improve the ACA, and I will continue to urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do just that.


Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-CD2) calls for a "better solution" to healthcare needs:

Families around Arizona continue to struggle under rising health care costs due to the Affordable Care Act. Business owners are being buried under mounds of paperwork and new mandates. Employees have seen their hours and wages cut while still lacking the affordable, quality care they need. While today’s ruling keeps intact subsidies under the law, the fact remains that the Affordable Care Act is fundamentally broken and hurting families across our country.”

We need a better solution that lowers the overall cost of health care and empowers patients and families to choose the plans that are right for them. We need reforms that focus on health outcomes driven by choice, transparency, and flexibility, not the mandates, penalties, and taxes contained in the Affordable Care Act. These patient-centered reforms will actually lower the cost of health care, ensuring it is affordable and available, while making sure those who cannot afford care have the opportunity and resources to get covered.”

Southern Arizonans deserve a better answer to our broken health care system, one that will put them first, and I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to give that to them.

Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-CD3) celebrates the decision:
Today, the Supreme Court once again validated the right of every American – regardless of which state they live in – to have quality health coverage at a reasonable price,” said Rep. Grijalva. “The political decision of state lawmakers in Arizona to snub President Obama and this healthcare law with House Bill 2643 threatened that right for too many Arizonans. More than 125,000 people could have paid a heavy price for those political games, and that is completely unacceptable.

I hope that with this decision, the Republican Party in Arizona and across the country recognizes the will of the American people to see this law stand; to see their loved ones receiving the care they need at a price they can afford; and to see an end to the reckless political antics that are below the dignity of the offices that many of these Republican policymakers hold. It’s time for them to move on.